Medical and health care products are usually marked with a “shelf life expiration” or “use by” date to enable medical practitioners, healthcare workers, patients and the public to determine whether or not to use a medical or healthcare product. The expiration date is generally marked prominently displayed on the product label. The label may also contain a variety of additional information, including product name, manufacturer name, location and date of manufacture, lot/batch number, and storage conditions. Meats, fish and other food products obtainable at a supermarket are usually marked with a “sell by” or “use by” date to help customers to consume or otherwise use the food products while it is still acceptably fresh. In the case of fresh or frozen meats and fish, the “sell by” or “use by” date is generally marked on a label which is prominently displayed on the product. The label can also contain a variety of additional information, including a product description, price information, weight information, and nutritional information. Other perishable products including various personal care products and industrial products can also bear a “use by” date.
Monitors are devices used to track the exposure of a host product to one or more particular conditions, such as, temperature. Monitors, such as environmental monitors, may be calibrated to indicate the presence of certain environmental conditions, or when certain environmental conditions surpass pre-set limits. Some monitors provide a visual or electronic signal to make such indications.
Use of monitors in product labels can give consumers, patients or other end users some assurance that a given product is acceptable for use by providing some degree of protection against using products that may be ineffective or spoiled because of aging or adverse conditions.
Other factors can also detract from the acceptability of commercial products. For example, a product may be counterfeit and have little or no acceptability. Some measures taken to prevent or identify counterfeit products include various track-and-trace methods which can trace the movement of a product from its manufacturer or other legitimate source to a consumer or other user to assure authenticity. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and barcodes are two technology methods which can be used to help implement traceability. RFID devices can be incorporated in packages, package labeling, or other product labeling.
Regulatory agencies in the United States and elsewhere have implemented—or are contemplating implementing—“pedigree” requirements for pharmaceutical products. A pedigree is, for example, a certified record that contains information about each distribution of a prescription drug which can be electronically embodied in what is known as an “epedigree”.